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It’s been a bit of a wobbly week, with most major indexes in the red and more than a few leading stocks easing lower after solid runs. Coming into today, the big-cap indexes are off less than 1%, growth measures are generally off 1% to 2% and some broader indexes (small caps, etc.) are off a bit more.

When the Fed cut rates by 50 basis points last month, it was supposed to ring in a new era of low interest rates. Instead, rates are rising again. Why?

McDonald’s (MCD) stock fell nearly 10% overnight after news of an E. coli outbreak. Here’s how similar outbreaks have impacted other restaurant stocks.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has two big oil stock positions, but his recent trading history shows which of the two is the better play on a recovery in oil.

The Russell 2000 is considered the benchmark small-cap stock index, but the S&P 600 SmallCap is the better way to invest in them. Here’s why.

Low-beta stocks move less than the overall market and, if you’re concerned about volatility, they can add stability to your portfolio.

The deck was stacked against smaller software stocks when the Fed started hiking rates, but the tides are shifting in their favor. Here are five names I like now.

Fresh highs in the stock market tend to precede new highs, and if you’re underinvested, you may be missing out. Fortunately, there are opportunities for even the most conservative investors.

Relative strength is one of our favorite ways to identify strong stocks during periods of weakness, which are often the best names to own when the market perks up.

This country has a massive shortage of housing.

It is estimated that the current demand for homes exceeds the national supply by a whopping 4.5 million. The shortfall has caused the median U.S. home price to double since 2011 and soar a staggering 40% just since the pandemic. In many areas, prices have increased a lot more.

High prices combined with the highest mortgage rates in decades have made housing unaffordable. Zillow estimates that only 15.1% of current non-homeowner households can afford a typical mortgage.

But there is reason to believe the housing problems will get a lot better in the years ahead.

Mortgage rates are falling. The average U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate has fallen to 6.6% from 7.2% this past May and 7.8% a year ago. And rates are likely to continue to trend lower from multi-decade highs in the years ahead. Prices are coming down too. The average U.S. home price has declined about 7% since the beginning of last year.

While the situation is likely to improve, the supply/demand imbalance will likely remain for several years. That’s a problem for the housing market and economy to work through. But it’s good news for homebuilders. New homes should be in high demand for years to come, and sales should increase with the improving conditions.

In this issue, I highlight one of the best homebuilders on the market. The stock has been a stellar performer as investors realize the opportunity. But it is still reasonably valued and has momentum. It should provide a covered call opportunity soon.

With rates falling and silver prices rising, let’s take a look at a beaten-down silver miner to capitalize on the Fed rate cuts.

Bitcoin rose above $100,000 for the first time in its history earlier this week. With renewed interest and a crypto-friendly environment, how high can it go?

At a high level, the market is still humming on all cylinders, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hovering near all-time highs. But look closer, and some cracks have egun to form, with the Dow down in the last week and some high-flying growth stocks – including several in the Stock of the Week portfolio – getting sold off today. With inflation data to come later this week, it’s possible a pullback of some kind is in order. So today, we add an inflation-proof stock that Clif Droke just wrote extensively about in his Cabot Turnaround Letter advisory.

Details inside.

It was another interesting week for the market as the Nasdaq rallied 3.3%, while the S&P 500 added 1% and the Dow fell 0.6%. That is quite the performance difference between the Nasdaq and Dow!

Cannabis stocks have become so cheap that M&A activity is now underway. Investors should stick with the financially sound players to benefit.

WHAT TO DO NOW: Remain bullish, but continue to manage your positions. In the Model Portfolio, we’re going to again take partial profits in AppLovin (APP), selling one-third of what we have left. That will boost our cash position to around 22%. Details below.

Costco (COST), Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) are the biggest retailers in the U.S. and their stocks are going wild, but will tariffs next year slow them down?

WHAT TO DO NOW: Growth stocks are finally hitting air pockets today after massive runs, and while many look fine from an intermediate-term point of view, some appear iffy after massive runs. Thus, we’re paring back today: We’re going to take more partial profits in AppLovin (after already booking some profit this morning), as well as selling one-third of Axon (AXON), which isn’t as extreme as some others but is coming under pressure. Details below.

It was another interesting week for the market as the Nasdaq rallied 3.3%, while the S&P 500 added 1% and the Dow fell 0.6%. That is quite the performance difference between the Nasdaq and Dow!

The post-election bounce is over. But stocks could still finish the year higher. These are good times. The S&P 500 is up about 30% year to date. This adds to a 26% return for the index in 2023.